Laser Ablation Electrospray Ionization (LAESI) Mass Spectrometry is an example of a rapid characterization technique that is suitable for solids (normally biological sample but can also be used for materials such as concrete) and requires no sample preparation. An intense pulsed laser is used to vaporise surface material (ablation). An inert carrier gas (argon) transfers the ablated material to an inductively-coupled plasma torch, where the sample plume is disassociated into ionised atomic species. A mass spectrometer subsequently identifies the species and determines its abundance in the sample. Continued ablation of the surface provides the possibility of obtaining a three-dimensional profile of the contamination.